Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a low energy nuclear system and more specifically it relates to a low energy nuclear thermoelectric system for a vehicle which provides a cost-effective and sustainable means of transportation for long operation range with zero emission using an onboard low energy nuclear reaction thermal generator.
Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
The present invention relates to a system which utilizes thermal energy to power an electric vehicle, such as an electric car, electric motorbike, electric bus, electric train, electric boat, electric plane and the like. The market for electric vehicles has soared in recent years, with current estimates projecting over 5 million electric automobiles being sold each year by 2017.
Currently-produced electric vehicles are generally considered to be sustainable as they do not rely on fossil fuels which are in increasingly high demand in the world market. These electric vehicles are also considered environmentally safe as they do not generate any emissions such as greenhouse gases.
However, even these sustainable electric vehicles currently being produced suffer from a number of shortcomings. Many of these vehicles are required to periodically be directly connected to the electric grid or require the usage of batteries for energy storage. When such batteries are utilized as the sole source of power, the range of the electric vehicle is severely limited by the storage capacity of the batteries and thus require repeated recharging. Increasing battery capacity, and thus vehicle range, increases both the price and the weight of the vehicle which, in many cases, can be suboptimal for different applications.
One solution to the problem of limited range of electric vehicles has been to develop a network of charging stations for use in recharging the battery systems on such vehicles. Another solution to increase range has been to use fuel cells instead of a large battery capacity. However, such systems often must rely on a complex hydrogen infrastructure and a network of hydrogen stations to provide points of delivery of hydrogen to refill the vehicles (much like gas stations). The necessary hydrogen infrastructure to support widely-used fuel cell vehicles is estimated to take several decades.
Another solution to the range problem with electric vehicles is to use directly sustainable energy such as solar energy to power the vehicles. Nonetheless, all of these solutions suffer many drawbacks compared to standard thermal engine vehicles, including range, usability, comfort and cost.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved low energy nuclear thermoelectric system for a vehicle which provides a cost-effective and sustainable means of transportation for long operation range with zero emission using an onboard low energy nuclear reaction thermal generator.